The Idaho Grower Shippers Association board of directors announced Oct. 9 that Mark Klompien has been named president of the organization. He fills the position vacated in late September by Travis Blacker, who joined the Idaho Potato Commission as industry relations director.

Before joining the IGSA, Mr. Klompien was vice president of supply chain management at Idahoan Foods. Before that, he spent 18 years at Basic American Foods Mark Klompienand five years at Lamb Weston Inc. During his tenure with Basic American Foods, Mr. Klompien held a number of positions in engineering, operations, raw material, supply chain and rose to the position of vice president of procurement and government relations.

Mr. Klompien has served as chairman of the Potato Executive Committee for the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry and also served as a board member and executive committee vice-chairman of that group. He also serves on the College of Agriculture Advisory Board for the University of Idaho as well as serving as a board member for the Northwest Food Processors Association. He obtained his professional engineer's license in 1995.

Mr. Klompien earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Montana State University and also completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program. He and his wife, Valerie, reside in Idaho Falls, ID, and have two sons, Derek, a recent graduate of the University of Idaho, and Dalin, a student at the University of Idaho.